FEB. 21-MARCH 6, 2018
A tiny southern Indiana settlement had a big influence celebrated by federal courts marking Black History Month. The legislature is not waiting on Gov. Eric Holcomb's DCS report, instead introducing more than a dozen agency-related bills this session. A McKinney professor traveled to Cambodia recently to train judges on a new set of commercial laws.
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Waiting on DCS report, legislature is not idle
Lawmakers have offered more than a dozen bills to address a growing children in need of services crisis, many of which have won broad support in the General Assembly.
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Court celebrates Indiana community in marking Black History Month
Lyles Station, a community along the Patoka River in southwest Indiana, is long past its heyday of 800 residents working their farms, practicing their trades and educating their children. But as the only historic rural black settlement still standing in Indiana, its unique history is being celebrated.
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Med-mal, PI firm reorganizes, ready for next 38 years
After almost 38 years in business, Montross Miller Muller Mendelson & Kennedy has undergone a significant reorganization. Two founding partners, John Muller and Tilden Mendelson, retired in 2017, and all four associates — Nathan Miller, Belinda Kunczt, Brad Kallmyer and Kerri Farmer — have been made partners.
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McKinney professor instructs Cambodian officials on new laws
Professor Xuan-Thao Nguyen conducted secured transaction law training workshops for legal professionals in December in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. It was the first such training in the nation for judges on the new laws.
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Kiritsis film recalls insanity defense reform
As a new documentary on the notorious Tony Kiritsis kidnapping case in Indianapolis wins critical acclaim, attorneys who worked on the case note it was an impetus for insanity defense reforms that swept the nation.
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Notre Dame law students’ Impowerus wins raves for empowering immigrant teens
Notre Dame Law students created an online platform — Impowerus — designed to connect pro bono attorneys with people who need legal services. What sets this product apart from the other sites is its focus — a specific demographic, immigrant youth — and its aim to be self-sufficient, charging lawyers licensing fees rather than relying on donations.
Read MoreSlower pace follows flurry of same-sex marriage decisions
From the filing of the first complaint in 2014 to an appellate court decision, Indiana’s ban on same-sex marriage was overturned in a little less than seven months. Subsequent cases regarding rights and discrimination against gay, lesbian, bi-sexual and transgender individuals have slowed considerably.
Read MoreStudy: Legal needs rise despite available aid
Despite a continued need for legal representation, few Americans hire attorneys. Legal aid experts said there are two questions the legal community should consider: what’s keeping people, particularly those from low-income communities, from hiring legal help; and how can the profession reverse the trend?
Read MoreTax reform creates uncertainty for estate, wealth planning
Passage of federal tax reform spelled numerous changes for wealthy Americans, and taxpayers and their lawyers have been forced to learn new nuances to estate planning and wealth management procedures as they try to determine how the new legislation will impact them.
Read MoreIndiana Court decisions – Feb. 1-14, 2018
Read Indiana appellate court decisions from the latest reporting period.
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Advances in big data promise personalization, challenges for insurers
What happens when technology threatens to not only disrupt a market, but completely reshape it? This is the question facing insurance industry experts as “Insurtech” — a portmanteau of the words “insurance” and “technology” — continues to rise.
Read MoreRuesch: Cyberinsurance outlook for 2018: Risks evolve, as does coverage
While businesses and industries across the board continue to address how best to evolve their data security and practices to, at the very least, minimize the risk of a cyberattack, the insurance industry is also evolving and working with these companies to produce and market insurance policies and products to respond to a cyber event.
Read MorePlews, Hirschten & Townsend: Pre-tender costs should be recoverable absent prejudice
In late notice cases, demonstrating an absence of prejudice should be allowed to avoid a loss of benefits disproportionate to any harm in the delay of notice.
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Law Student Outlook: Sexual misconduct and the evolving workplace
One of the most common responses we have seen from current law students is a zero-tolerance policy for instances of sexual misconduct. As the culture has changed in the last few months nationwide about the topic, it has invaded the law school, so far as being part of a few exam fact patterns.
Read MoreWise words from counsel: There are no clients in the alley
A respected attorney clearly understood that a walk to the courthouse along a busy city street was a chance to bump into other lawyers, friends, clients and prospective clients. He was not going to miss out on that opportunity by taking a shortcut.
Read MoreStart Page: Overcome the propensity to procrastinate — Email edition
Follow these Outlook tips and you’ll increase your productivity and put off procrastinating for another day.
Read MoreHammerle on … 2018 Oscar picks
Film review Robert Hammerle categorically judges this year’s standouts in his annual Academy Awards predictions.
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IndyBar: Lindsay Faulkenberg: Be Willing — The Gateway to a Great Pro Bono Experience
Lindsay Faulkenberg, a veteran attorney at Kids’ Voice of Indiana, devotes approximately five hours a week to pro bono work. Her formula for a fulfilling pro bono experience is relatively simple: you have to “be willing.”
Read MoreIndyBar: New Magistrate Appointed in Probate Court
Marion Superior Court Probate Division has selected Melanie Kendrick to replace retired Magistrate J. Richard Turner.
Read MoreIndyBar: Author and Autism Ambassador Slated for Bench Bar Conference Plenary
Hope, positivity, understanding. Those are just three of many feelings that Aaron Likens, author, public speaker and autism ambassador, hopes to impart as he strives to increase awareness and comprehension of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) as a plenary speaker at this year’s Bench Bar Conference in Louisville, Kentucky.
Read MoreIndyBar: Pro Bono for Any Schedule
Volunteers are now being sought for two IndyBar pro bono programs that allow members to dedicate just an hour or two to helping the community.
Read MoreIndyBar: Respect, Recognize and Advance: The History of Black History
Black history has highlighted our abilities and virtuous qualities, yet the achievements of black history merit the deepest admiration.
Read MoreDTCI: Service is not quantified by money or time
I think our daily interactions, our jobs, our perspective, and our lives, in general, would be greatly enhanced if we kept the notion of empathetic service in the forefront of our minds.
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